Gallery: First Look: Cocktails at The Revel Room, Chicago

The Meig's Field ($10)

"It's my play on a Long Island Iced Tea, but just done correctly," explained Higgins. As Meig's Field (Northerly Island) is to Chicago, so is Long Island to New York, at least in Higgins' mind. When at Bar Deville, Higgins says was often asked to make Long Island Ice Teas, and so he tried to develop something with similar flavors but more interesting ingredients. The result: "It's a unique cocktail showcasing Fernet Branca Menta," said Higgins. "It's got some Laird's applejack—Laird's was the first distillery ever in America—and then it has Lemon Hart 151 and some ginger beer on top."

Veronica Vaughn ($10)

The Veronica Vaughn is coming to the Revel Room in a few weeks for the fall menu. It features Bombay Sapphire East, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, lime and Dolin Genepy. "I like the Sapphire East a lot," said Higgins. "It adds lemongrass and black peppercorn. In the mixology scene, you see a lot of people stepping away from Bombay products, but I love it, especially the East. It's very versatile when working with Chartreuse or Genepy." The drink is named for a character in Billy Madison. According to Higgins: "Those types of girls are going to order this drink."

Gold Bullets and Vampires ($10)

This cocktail, named in a reference to a line spoken by James Franco in The Spring Breakers, is made with gin, apricot, lime and cinnamon. "I'm using St. George Terroir gin, which is from California," said Higgins. "They use mountain botanicals that are found in that area. It's a nice entry-level gin for people who don't really drink gin, because it's low in juniper and higher in fennel, peppercorn, and lemon zest."

The Wall of Death ($10)

"This is a Scotch drink, and I feel that Scotch drinks, if they pack a punch, need to have a big, big name to them," explained Higgins. This variation on the classic Blood and Sand features blended Monkey Shoulder Scotch and Cheery Heering, plus lemon and simple syrup (but no vermouth). "Cherry and Scotch go quite well together, because both have big vanilla back notes and a lot of oak, especially with Cherry Heering," explained Higgins.

The Library

This small room, off of the back bar, is meant to evoke the feeling of an old club library, says Higgins.

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